This review may contain spoilers
A VERY realistic take on Japanese LGBT life and its society that affects all the characters
Thanks for Furritsu for the subs. I finished watching the remaining episodes on BilliSo I really liked this drama, it’s different. To me depressing or not happy endings stories like this one really interest me. I don’t get emotionally affected by stories like these (because I don’t see it as real).
Oh yeah I am going to talk SPOILERS for this series.
Story: The good half of the story (episode 1 to 8) focus on Mieko and Makio, their friendship and their involvement with Eiji who they all met working part time in a restaurant. With the POV being on Mieko making her the main character of this series. This changes in the final two episodes (8 to 10) where the POV is more general and focus on Makio and Asato general relationship.
For me I liked how realistic and down to earth the story is. Mostly you are following the lives of Meiko, Makio and Eiji (in the 1st half) and Asato (in the later section). For me I don’t think this is a BL story, as while Makio relationships with Eiji and Asato are shown the story does’nt completely focus on Makio. As the story covers Meiko story as she progresses in her life. Also the portrayal of how society views LGBT relationship is completely realistic compared to the fantasy of BL. I just thought things
like this happens in real life and that’s fine, people are in one situation and the next moment they move on to another.
Characters
Meiko: Is such a refreshing female character, she's interesting character, but yes thinking about it she's really stupid for the actions that she did. What I like about her is that she's relatable and reminds me of myself, she is an observer but wants to help when she wants to. Her friendship with Makio is amazing. I understood her downfall when she volunteered to be a surrogate mother, thinking she would help Makio and Eiji’s relationship but as a result it was the one of the catalysts to cause the breakup of Makio and Eiji. Because I could see that is not what Makio wanted. Ok her actions were VERY selfish and egoistical of herself, but in a way she was'nt a baddie in my eyes, she really valued Makkio in her life and I see it as she did'nt mean to intentionally break the relationship between Makkio and Eiji. She's like WAY better than some toxic female characters in most BL dramas these days.
Makio: From the outside he’s a very happy go lucky kind of person. He also doesn’t think much when he decides to date Eiji. The thing is this series does'nt really show you what kind of person Makio really is so you have to judge from what you see him on the screen. But when he dated Eiji and moved on to Asato just shows that he really wants to get into a relationship with a guy the BL way lol (like date a guy with no judgement on his gay status, no child, just have the guy to himself)
Eiji: A really interesting character. I like how honest he is with himself but too shy to stand up for himself, like how he just confessed to Eiji after a misunderstanding and the same when he confessed to his parents but to me he feels like he rather please others rather than thinking about living in a way he wants to. But sadly he is a prime example of being influenced by how society views LGBT subjects. He wasn’t mentally strong to maintain the relationship he had with Makio.
Asato: A late comer into the story. He honestly needed more episodes than 2 to get to know his character. But he’s at least more emotionally stronger than Eiji, I liked how casual his relationship with Makio is and how naturally they became lovers. From being ex-classmates, to bickering about rubbish, to being casual friends and to being lovers. Felt natural and down to earth. He has his own personal problems career wise (and with his granddad) but not related to his sexuality.
Directing: Really slick and felt natural. I LOVE how the ending credits are shown.
Music: It's not really there, snice it's trying to show real life so most of the scenes have no music. I do like the ending themes tho.
Postives: Very high production values, very good acting, great directing and a very realistic story about LGBT life. I liked all of the characters in this story.
Negatives: The Asato and Makio storyline needed more episodes than two. It was a very sudden change of pace from the Makio, Meiko, Eiji storyline.
Overall: More than words IS NOT A BL drama in my view. It’s more like a slice of life drama with the characters being LGBT and how society affects them. Many BL fans might be disappointed in the way the story focuses on one couple for a good amount of episodes only for them to break them up and gives little time to set up for the second couple to form. But I found this story to be SUPER REALISITC because stories like this happens in real life. I don’t know if BL fans think the story is depressing/sad because one couple ending is not happy at all, I thought it ended on a happy hopeful tone to it.
But for those looking for a mellow down to earth slice of life drama with gay characters this series might be for you.
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I have noticed how this drama is not received well with a lot of people. I can understand why. It's got to be one of the most depressing dramas ever. 'Missing You' falls in more of a makjang-tastic melodrama genre which could have gone wrong. For me, of course, this drama worked very well. I loved the whole plot and enjoyed every character in it.
I am usually critical of tragedy being used as a cheap means to get the plot moving. Often, including tragedy is seen as convenient for Kdrama writers when they want to create the 'shock effect' in the viewer. What sets this drama apart from so many others is how tragedy is used as a base here instead of some random, bang-up scenario. It makes room for rest of the plot to build up, leaving scope for a lot of plot development and some amazing character development- which is commendable.
The sad parts of the drama are so wonderfully done (especially the childhood parts) that they will remain in my memory for a long time. They are touching and were successful in moving me. Even the sub-plots are very interesting, including the romance.
I loved how even though a lot of bad stuff happened to its characters, they were able to bear with it. That shows us how there's hope even in the darkest of the times. Okay, I know I am making it sound like some sadistic, boring drama but it is not. It is both beautiful and poignant in many ways. It had a nice pacing and many interesting sides to it.
The cast gave stellar performances. I believe this was Yoon Eun Hye and Park Youchun's best role till date. Although I am not the biggest fan of Youchun's acting, he impressed me here. His chemistry with Yoon Eun Hye was very good and believable to me. Apart from that the child actors were TERRIFIC- especially Kim So Hyun. When she suffered, I got the goosebumps. It was that great! Kudos to the director for making it seem so real.
The OST of this drama is terrific. I recommend every one to listen to it.
Overall, this drama is a whole package with a memorable cast, a touching story, lots of tears, lots of love and a solid soundtrack. Though it doesn't have a very high rewatch value, I won't mind rewatching my favourite scenes between the main leads.
Recommended to fans of melodramas and sad stories with good endings. :)
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Ep 1 to 20 was just so good. You watch effortlessly seeing the sparks fly between Jia Yang and Qiao Fei. The ingenuous ways he come up to make her life miserable and try to make her quit as trainee in the field of French interpreter. They clash and butt heads but Fei was resilent and refuse to give up her dream.
Then all that mess from the brother being the old flame and has a obessive nature when it comes to Fei. To the second female lead who was a tad pathethic in her love for Jia Ming but then retracted to wanting to be with Jia Yang.. mess and more mess
Then comes the mother who does extreme things like ruining her own son just to break up Jia Yang and Fei. Who does that? And to such extreme. It felt like this drama plot purposefully over inflate itself to generate angst, to fill in episodes? To drag it to pass 40episodes?
I felt like a masochist sticking with this drama to the end. Ep 28 to 36 was so hard to watch. Like 45mins of episode and only 10minutes or less worth watching.
I tell myself i need to see off Jia Yang and Fei's ending so i stuck with it til the ending . but oh boy instead of being awarded with my patience (which really is painful and teeth grinding). The last episode (heads up) isnt satisfying. It was rushed, cramped and jumbled. Didnt flow well and they try to make it dramatic but not believable. Its hard to believe the ending episode is rushed when the last 15or so episodes were so draggy. I still believ the first half that was good was written by another team of writers. If there are the same people then someone must have zap out commonsense from their heads. Like they run out of ideas what to do with the second half of the drama.
If you are wandering to watch or not. I recommend no for several reasons.
The last 1/3 compeltely deviates from the original story of being interpreters
The cliche part of being sick and the high noble road of sparing your loved ones from grief was not written well. Yes alot of dramas commit the same mistake but the way Fei did it just felt wrong. I felt it create needless grief for Jia Yang. Personally i think its selfish when you run away from your loved ones without sharing the truth and deliberately lets him misunderstand you. Her love didnt respect Jia Yang and made that decision for both of them without his knowledge.
Jia Yang's character actually went backwards in terms of growth. Yes it was nice to see him being less demonic and so loving to Fei. But then he became unprofessional when it comes to his work and career. And it was also annoying that he kept saying their love can survive it but i didnt see real actions to solve the problems. Your girlfriend keeps saying there's a big gap between them and that he didnt understand her difficulties.but he carries on as is and with regards to xiao hua and her dad. Although yes his words that their love can withstand it all, there was no action ... It was like him allowing the realtionship to fail eventually.
Jia ming, xiao hua and the guy he married. All characters i dont care for.
Qiao Fei bestfriend was ok but her love line was also not properly developed. Theres too much childish behaviour and they left it too late to the end to show changes.
If you do want to give this a try because the truth is Huang Xuan was really good and engaging as Jia Yang and sparks do fly when he sparrs with Yang Mi's Qiao Fei. Then i recommend you watch the front half of the drama up until he confess and they start dating. The second half will only make you scratch and then bang your head in frustation. So please dont suffer as i did..
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Im happy to report the opening two episodes i was swept away. The opening theme is one of the best ive heard in awhile (its a trademark sound similar to CSI) and the cinematography was so nicely done. Those drawings adorable and gorgeous. Finally i now couldnt imagine Ji Bai as none other than Wang Kai and Xuxu none other than Olivia. They both suited the roles to a T.
Yet there is a but after putting out these praises. Of all the 3 novels from Ding Mo i find the love relationship in When Snail falls in love to be the cutest and sweetest. And just the right balance with the crime solving bit. But the production crew in this drama has opted to tip that balance and scale down the romance. I understand roles get magnify or diminish and plots do change in adaptation. But i cant really agree its for the better with some of the changes. Nevermind that its more centric on police detective skills, crime solving and profiling and character growth for Xuxu.
Just to name a few: Xuxu's pursuer was scraped off. Xuxu as the solo disciple to Master Ji scrap off. The JiBai pursue first got a 180degree treatment. The reason why JiBai went to Myanmar changed. Yao meng character changed but since its for the better im ok with that.
Lets just say cause i read the novel there were certain things i was waiting for and came up empty waiting and watching from beginning to ep 15. Nothing. Then we go from nothing to suddenly 75% in their romance development. I get it thats its snail" but that sudden development didnt have time in earlier episodes to plant and bloom properly.
Then episodes 18 to 21 was so epically good and bolstered up by such commendable acting from both our leads.
This drama could have been a solid 10. All the more cause we know the chemistry between our leads is powerful and that i felt was not fully unleashed. Ive been left in vain wanting that bit more for our lion and his snail. To the point i wish theres a special episode to see more of them as an item.
Il definitely miss Wang Kai as a detective n that man rocks the white shirt blue jeans look. Again want to note awesome casting of him n Olivia. This among the best C dramas have to offer in 2016. DO WATCH and if you love more romance development Do READ the novel.
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This review may contain spoilers
I had to sleep on this one before writing this review (as I'm sure anyone who's seen this has). I'll come right out and say that I don't love this drama. It's not a genre I particularly care for. It's not especially exciting. It's not very pretty to look at except of course for the 4 leads themselves, who are blindingly beautiful. Watching it made me feel kind of squicky and dirty. And by the end I don't care so much about the characters except in a "Hey, look at that horrible train wreck. I wonder how mangled the bodies are" kinda way.BUT, and it's a BIG BUT, this was one of the most unique, compelling and batcrap crazy Kdrama joyrides I've ever been on, and I can't recommend it enough to those who aren't afraid to feel dirty, take a walk on the darkside, and see something they've never seen before in a Kdrama. Because this drama turns everything you know about Kdramas on its head and it did so 9 years ago, which makes me wonder why hasn't anyone else done it since? *(More on that at the bottom.)
Some of the common Kdrama tropes that get turned on their heads are the Cinderella story, the Candy/Mary Sue female lead, the spoiled chaebol son, and most notably the OTP concept.
Without trying to spoil anything, I will just say that even to the end I never really knew who loved whom, and how much and whether any of it was love at all. The truth behind all the lovelines in this drama was so well hidden behind the directing, the very good writing, and the fantastic acting, that even at the end the lovelines were still a confusing mess. And I loved that about this drama because it was so much more realistic. Contrary to Kdramaland, in real life, people can be conflicted about whom they truly love. A person really can love two people at the same time and love is icky and messy. That this drama embraced this fact was so refreshing.
In fact, not only was the romance totally unpredictable but the show itself was, which is why I say it is so compelling. Even someone like me who usually needs either action or humor to keep watching a drama, absolutely could not take my eyes off of this train wreck. This show is ultimate drama-crack, and I owe all of that to the writing and the acting. How many times have you watched a drama only to be pretty sure by about episode 4 how everything is going to play out? Well, not with WHIB. I had some guesses, but they were really just wild guesses and I wasn't confident about any of them. It was that uncertainty that kept me glued to the computer all day yesterday to marathon the last half of this drama.
WHIB is best known, probably, for its ending, so if you want to watch this drama, whatever you do, don't spoil yourself. It was hard for me not to because I am a bit of a spoiler addict, but I avoided it and was the happier for it. Some people, I've read, hate the ending, and some people love it. I LOVE IT! The more I thought about it the more I realized that it was not only totally earned, it was also perfectly fitting. It made sense in every possible way, and that is a rare bird for Kdramas because if there is one major complaint I have about most Kdramas it's that the endings are usually dissatisfying at best and just plain crappy at worst.
Finally, I'll just say that if you do decide to watch this drama, be prepared for a wild and sick ride. Starting WHIB is like going down the rabbit hole. As I said before, this drama made me feel dirty. But it also was exhilarating, with each episode heaping tension upon tension and crazy upon crazy until I couldn't tell which way was up or right from wrong. There is no black and white here, only many shades of dirty gray. If you choose to watch WHIB, enter at your own risk, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.
*(In truth, I think that the abomination that was Fashion King was trying to achieve something like WHIB, but failed miserably on every level but shock value. I chock it up to terrible writing, awful characterization, and mostly to not having a clear idea of what kind of drama they really wanted to make. One of the best things about WHIB that I neglected to mention earlier is how unapologetic it is about being purely character driven. Every event occurs just to put the characters where they need to be, making the choices they need to make, in order to up the tension and tangle the lovelines a little bit more. Normally this kind of artificial maneuvering is a flaw, but because WHIB has no doubt about what kind of drama it is, it works. Characters and the decisions they make are all that matter in this drama. Everything else is irrelevant.)
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Hands up for the Best Lakorn of 2020
First of all I never expected it'd be that good because of that very toxic trailer.It keep saying that hate the FL but I ended up pitying her and her Character Development is realistic. I love her
STORY (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ It was all about Paeng an spoiled girl who's desperately looking for the Sunshine on her life. She found it on Arthit a Nice man that treat her like his own Sister. Paeng doesn't allow it and causes Arthit on the accident that changes his life and personality. When the time goes by Paeng changed herself for a better and new person. But everyone around her didn't believe that she really changed especially Arthit.
ACTING / CAST (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ Mark and Kao's Acting is so On-point. And their Chemistry is perfectly fantastic it was very sweet but kinda toxic.I love the way when Arthit is jealous and possessive but sometimes he's too much. I like the Second Couple which is Ling and Non they're very cute. I hate every character who doesn't like Paeng especially that Nang She doesn't even deserve Kot to be honest.
MUSIC (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ Absolutely Nice to ears from Intro and Ending OST. I even downloaded it on my phone. I'm more in love with the Ending OST (Male Version).
REWATCH VALUE (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ I will definitely Rewatch it but I will start from Episode 5 and I will definitely skipped Khun Mark not Prin scenes cause it was very annoying.
OVERALL (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ It went up and down,It was sweet and toxic,It was pleasing and annoying,It was happy and sad. It was a very good Drama with great Romance and average comedy.
You will not just liked it but you will love it for sure.
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This review may contain spoilers
An (erotic) melodrama whose melodramatics were brilliantly captured
"Obsessed" is an erotic movie about a passionate affair in South Korea around 1969. It is a melodrama whose melodramatics were brilliantly captured - with a Song Seung-heon, who absorbs the drama in his particular passionate manner. What is new in that context, is how he is allowed to act almost shamelessly here.However, "Obsessed" is also an exciting KMovie as it touches on a not so well known chapter in recent South Korean history: the time of Vietnam War.
------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- South Korea and the Vietnam War ---
It is always the USA that come to mind. But South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines also fought in Vietnam. South Korea was the country most involved after the USA. Between 1964 and 1973, around 48.000 Korean soldiers were each year drafted into this war. They had all volunteered, not least because their monthly wages brought in almost twice as much as a normal annual salary would have at the time. However, the South Korean army has gained a dubious reputation with a few massacres (including among civilians) in this war - a chapter from the time of the military dictatorship that has not been fully processed by now. The KMovie gives at least some space/thinking to this aspect - in connection with the consequences of the post-traumatic disorders, including the protagonist.
-----------------------------------------
"Obsessed" conveys some impressions about those 1960s/70s. The already strictly authoritarian context of South Korean every day life becomes even more so during dictatorship at that time, let alone in military itself. Thus every spark of vitality is nipped in the bud by the stiff corset of an immaculate facade. With the affair, an erotic tension is built up that one is not used to from the KDrama orbit. For the protagonists, however, this tension opens up a forbidden, yet addictive space to breathe, love and feel alive - and this precious moment of feeling alive has more value for the distressed male protagonist than anything else - as he has already seen and brought way too much death into this world...
Provoking. Gloomy. Beautifully done.
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You Taught Me All the Precious Things
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Once upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain
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*Story*
I'm gonna be honest. When I first watched it, the whole time I was like WTF is this? The plot is lame, the jokes are lame, the acting is really exaggerating and... Wait a minute, am I watching the right drama?! I remember a lot of people being very confused about the genre of the drama. The two female leads call each other wifey, the two male leads has... Like THE most romantic moments EVER! Reading the summery again, I would swear that it's not a gay drama. A lot of people call it Queerbaiting but I actually disagree. It kind of suits the style of the drama and the synopsis clearly states that the male lead will end up with the female lead. The whole drama is just one big comedy with some serious plot in it that will slowly uncover as time passes by. The jokes are so bad in a way that's hilarious. The male lead is someone of modern time who rebirth to the world of this drama and I just love how the lead is also dissing the script so much. To put it short, you need to get through a few episodes to get used to the weird concept, but the moment you do, it becomes so good XD. However... the arcs never really ends... well. There are so many times when I'm like "Uhm, writer? Do you still remember that love line?" But yeah... unless they make a season 2, I felt the plot quite unfinished after finishing the show.
*Characters*
I've not read the original novel so I can't really say if they were similar to the novel or not. However, it did feel a bit exaggerated at first. Especially the female lead. Whether it was her personality or look, I felt like she took the wrong role. Not that she was a bad actor, but it simply didn't suit her. However, as time passed by, I actually started to like her a lot. I guess I had to get used to a foreigner (or at least a mixed race) playing an ancient role. I found her really pretty later and began to love her as well. I guess you have to keep in mind that it is meant to be a comedy so some exaggeration is completely normal. You just gotta get used to it. Generally speaking, none of the actors were really bad. Maybe a bit awkward here and there but not to the point of bad. Generally speaking, it was quite alright.
*Music*
I liked it. Have nothing else to say about it
*Rewatch value*
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Would I watch it again.... Probably not. One time is enough, but some lame parts/scenes are definitely worth to be put on repeat
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Unfortunately, I found the world surrounding the lovers to be less fleshed out and compelling. While I understand that the awfulness of most of the other major characters is meant to highlight just how terrible Hye Won’s life is despite its surface luxuries, I would have loved for there to have been more layers to the antagonists. Their universal loathsomeness did draw sympathy to the protagonists, but it also undermined the realism of the show and simplified its conflicts. It’s not hard to cheat on a husband with no redeeming characteristics, but that felt like an easy out for the screenwriter (and the audience) rather than an honest exploration of the challenges of marriage.
The directing of the show is carefully composed and the pacing slow. This allows for some lovely, unhurried emotional beats, but it can also feel a bit stifling. There were times I would have liked less precision and more abandon. The technique mirrors Hye Won’s fierce control, but when the fissures open in her life I wish the show had cracked open more deliriously as well. The main couple and the music are amazing. Everything else feels well worth losing for their stolen moments of joy.
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This review may contain spoilers
Strong Start But Then Became A Downhill Runaway Train
This series had a ton of potential. A show about a psychologist counseling patients with various problems and in depth look at just how each session progressed. Her own life and the life of her friends, family, and romantic interest as well the antagonist were all very strongly introduced. Each main plot and subplot were going well until about episode 29, around that time this smooth moving train lost its conductor and started to go downhill at top speed.The subplots started to obscure the main plot, the characters behavior didn't align with what they had previously done and many useless characters were brought in without a proper explanation to cause trouble only to completely vanish later in the same way they appeared. Or scenes that were shown in opening and closing credits, never actually happened. The guess is that after the first review and cut in episodes, the editing was done extremely poorly.
The main antagonist aka el creepo or YJH was forgiven or given a slap on the wrist judgment for really horrendous things. His character development was a constant tug of war between evil and some version of good. Though he was hell bent on revenge, it seemed his revenge was aimed at the wrong people and totally misguided by his adoptive father who was the real criminal in the entire plot.
The mega scandal promised in the synopsis that would evoke HD's sleep walking problem; didn't and wasn't that huge. It was also left for the final 11 episodes to sort out. HD's father was thrown into the mix and neither that relationship nor problem was solved in the end. Many of these main plots were left hanging. I'm all for a cliffhanger as I've written my share of them, but you need to tie some of the loose ends up and leave just one hanging to really grab the audience, not 36 of them. Which could speak to a season 2 but considering how poorly written and executed the second half of the drama was, do people really want to see season 2? And will season 2 have the same cast because a whole new cast would make this a disaster. Plus c-ent has a tendency to do sequels up to 5 years after the fact and at that point everyone has lost interest.
Lilli's change in men was like a whiplash, because from rich, snotty, and "cute", in a span of one full episode she fell for an average Joe cop. It was as if, the writers really had no time to develop Lilli's evolution as a woman and wrote the polar opposite of what she fell for before like an epiphany of sorts and hoped the viewers wouldn't notice.
Instead of properly closing out this series, the writers threw in another couple for HD to help cure in 2 episodes. And the ending went from el creepo crying over his mom after she tried to kill herself, to an ambulance, to suddenly out of nowhere a monologue of HD talking about her work and the patients she's helped. The last episode honestly looked like it belonged to a completely different show. There were so many inconsistencies and inaccuracies, towards the end that I'm sure I missed explaining a lot here.
I commend all of the actors on their terrific acting but only that and the OSTs were what remained of a really great and strong show at the beginning. I was very much looking forward to this series and I'm really disappointed. Would I recommend? Depends. It certainly has its strong beginning, but a very weak and inconsistent second half and ending. Judge for yourselves if you choose to.
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2) Storyline/Plot : This drama has the closest adaptation of the manga; it followed it literally without much change. It was faithful which made it enjoyable.
3) Acting/Cast : Like I said before this was my first Tw-drama so back then I wasn't familiar with the cast but i loved the acting plus supporting roles were extremly awesome along with all the side stories.
4) Music : I don't actually remember the music clearly but I think it was nice.
5) Rewatch value : one of the fewest dramas that I check out sometimes. If you do rewatch dramas you will definitely rewatch this.
6) The ending : It was extremly good the kind that everyone wants to see while watching a drama but I wouldn't consider it an "End" since there's a second season.
7) Overall : I am so not into chinese languages but while watching this drama I totally forgot my dislike and focused on the story.
Basically, if you're Itazura na kiss's fan you must watch this.
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Just like a dream...
This drama has not been advertised properly as you might start watching it simply because you are browsing for a new drama... just like that..And then... surprise 😮 the unconventional first episode literally throw you into a dream world and you cannot yet recognise what is a dream and what is reality. Then, in a complete state of mental confusion, i decided to watch the second episode, and that dream was getting weirder.. and then.. no more doubts, i was hooked!
I didnt know the team here is the same as for A Familiar Stranger which other short drama i love! Amd it makes sense as the athmosphere here is similar, with some dark magic elements and a couple indeniable attracted to each other.
Do not skip the initial OST as mesmerizing, has reminded me of the OST from a League of Nobleman.
A must watch! Shame it is too short.. 😕 😔
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Feel good
Premise of the story was good and the actors were well suited to their role.I liked the idea of having a dinner mate without knowing their names, Maybe I should try it sometime hahaha!
It was a feel good drama that made me sigh every so often. There was a mental health challenge thrown in as well. I like the way it resolved along the way.
The kdrama all in all was about trusting strangers, falling in love, embracing the past, understanding it's implication on the future, and forgiveness. It made me feel good at the end of it.
Thank you and well done to the whole cast and crew!
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Story: (9.5/10)
Suits starts off with Go Yeon Woo running away from the police after almost getting caught making a drug deal, and he accidentally slips into an interview for one of the city's top law firms and meets Choi Kang Suk, the best closer in the city. He takes a gamble and hires Yeon Woo after recognizing YW's photographic memory and his passion for justice and the law. The rest of the series showcases their relationship as the dynamic duo, solving many cases and serving justice together with the help of the managing partner, Kang Ha Yeon, the beautiful and intelligent paralegal, Kim Jina, KS's amazing and talented assistant/secretary, Hong Da Ham, and YW's and KS's arch nemesis, Chae Geun Shik.
Each episode features a different theme and motto, and the different and interesting cases within the episode will relate back to the motto (for example one episode's motto is "everyone gets what they deserve", and the case in that episode relates to that). The drama so far basically features the same ideas and cases as the US version, and there aren't huge differences in the story development and the content per episode. The setting is also VERY similar; the financial district and the amazing office views, and even the tiniest details such as the hotdog stand that Harvey goes to and the little toast/fish pastry parallel in the Korean version, the fact that both YW and Mike travels around in a bike, etc, etc. There are endless similarities that I could draw from the 2 versions, and the Korean remake was very refreshingly different, but also very similar at the same time (if that makes sense).
The only thing I'm unsure about in the drama is how everyone will react/find out about YW being a fraud, and how this will play out in the show, since in the US version, he gets caught and he eventually goes to jail for while and then getting out soon after. I'm not sure how the drama will show/solve this issue, so I can't comment on that topic yet.
**EDIT**: i felt like the show kind of ended abruptly in the last 2 episodes, and the ending was a little rushed. However, considering there was only 16 episodes total, I do understand how it all played out. I'm satisfied, as there were no loose ends, however I do wish that they showcased more of GWY and Jina's ending. Other than that, it ended off fairly well, and also very similar to the US version.
Cast/Characters: (9.5/10)
Choi Kang Suk vs Harvey Specter: ahhh, harvey is my ultimate bias, as I just think he is sooo extremely attractive, not just appearance wise, but also his personality. Jang Dong Gun did an amazing job at portraying Harvey's cockiness, his quirks, confidence, and his raw talent. He's Kang and Ham's (the law firm) ace, their best lawyer, and he definitely lives up to his reputation in every episode, as he somehow figures out a brilliant solution (along with GYW) to every problem that they encounter. His bromance with Yeon Woo doe..... you can really tell that he cares about YW even though he's known to be heartless and very cold.
Go Yeon Woo vs Mike Ross: i have to say that I am extremely impressed with Park Hyung Shik's acting. I've only watched a few episodes of Strong Girl Do Bong Soon, so I can't really comment on his acting there, but in Suits, he did a fantastic job portraying GYW! Especially at the fact that he was able to memorize all those difficult legal terms/definitions and pretty much recite the law. Although GYW and Mike Ross are the same character, Hyung Shik made this character into his own. There are so many similarities between the 2, but I do like Hyung Shik's portray better. The only thing I didn't like in relation to the character GWY was that in the Korean version, there are a few times he just makes (kinda dumb) decisions on his own that Mike didn't, and it was just a little unnecessary to me and it was a lot different than the US version, since Mike Ross pretty much never messes up/makes a mistake (apart from lying about his law degree LOL). But all in all, greatttt character.
The rest of the cast was also a joy to watch, particularly Chae Geun Shik, their arch nemesis. This character is sooo funny and hilarious, he's a workaholic partner at the firm, and he constantly tries to get the managing partner's approval/respect, but he somehow always falls short compared to Kang Suk. He tries extremely hard to make Yeon Woo's life as difficult as possible, always waiting for YW to make a mistake, and their relationship is just so funny to watch. Also the fact that the Korean version also talks to a dictaphone, has an admiration for Kang Suk's secretary, and can sometimes be downright cruel. Kim Jina and Yeon Woo's budding romance is so cute and bubbly too, and their interactions with each other are always a joy to watch, kind of like watching a first love blooming. The managing partner, Kang Ha Yeon, is a total badass bishhh, just like Jessica Pearson. They always put the firm's interests on top and always want what's best for the firm. KS's secretary, Hong Da Ham, is also very much like the infamous Donna, extremely witty and pretty much knows everything going on in the firm and also knows everyone.
Music: (8/9)
The OST is quite good, especially the 2 main instrumental songs that play in the backgrounds during certain scenes. Some other songs play in the more emotional and romantic scenes, but they weren't that memorable in my opinion.
Re-watch value: (8/10)
It's a very entertaining show to watch, however since I already watched the US version, the Korean one has many similarities in terms of content and the cases they solve, so to me personally, I probably won't watch it anytime soon, just because I'm already quite familiar with the plot and storyline.
Overall: (9/10)
If you haven't watched Suits, whether the US version or the Korean one, I highly recommend that you go watch it, especially those who like law shows. The story is quite unique and different, and the cast/characters are amazing and their interactions and their relationships with each other are so dynamic and interesting. Don't miss out on this amazing drama!
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